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Odessa committee proposes rebuilt jackrabbit and downtown visitor center for 2027 centennial
Summary
City officials and a volunteer committee presented a plan to recreate Odessa’s oversized jackrabbit and build a small visitor center downtown, proposing a public–private funding approach and presenting an economic analysis projecting long‑term tourism benefits. Council asked staff to return with a resolution and details on funding sources.
A volunteer committee and city officials presented plans to build a new stone jackrabbit sculpture and a small visitor center downtown, aiming to unveil the project for Odessa’s centennial in April 2027.
The proposal, introduced by Mayor Cal Hendrick and committee member Renee Earls, would recreate the city’s iconic jackrabbit as a 50‑foot sculpture on a roughly 10‑foot pedestal and add a roughly 2,000‑square‑foot visitor center. The committee described the effort as a public‑private partnership and asked the City Council to consider using private donations, grants and hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds to help pay for the visitor center portion.
The committee emphasized tourism and economic impacts as central goals. “Our next step is making Odessa home to the world’s largest jackrabbit once again,” Renee Earls told the council. Economist Ray Perryman of the Perryman Group presented an economic summary the committee commissioned, saying the combined rabbit…
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